Curve win 7th in a row

May 22, 2012

With two errors in a span of three plays, the Curve handed a fourth-inning run to Harrisburg that tied Monday's game.

Two innings later, Senators third baseman Manny Mayorson had a grounder go right between his legs with the bases loaded that gift-wrapped a two-run lead for Altoona.

That's just the way things have been going lately for the Curve, who won their seventh game in a row, 4-2, over Harrisburg before 2,239 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

The two errors the Curve committed in the fourth were both throwing, one each from shortstop Brock Holt and second baseman Jarek Cunningham. Ironically enough, it was Holt and Cunningham who scored on Mayorson's mistake in the sixth inning.

"The luck kind of comes to your side, and that's what happened tonight,'" Holt said. "Me and Cunningham boo-booed and messed those two plays up, and we ended up giving them a run. But we were able to come back and get them back. Those were two huge runs for us."

Jeff Karstens made a major league rehab start for the Curve, but after he tossed three scoreless innings, left-hander Nathan Baker - Monday's originally scheduled starter - came in and picked up where Karstens left off.

Fact Box

Baker (3-4) worked through the two errors in the fourth and allowed just that lone unearned run in four innings of work. Though he had to come out of the bullpen, Baker got the win as he gave up three hits to go with two strikeouts.

"I thought Nate Baker showed a great deal of poise," manager P.J. Forbes said. "I've seen innings get away from him before in the past. Not tonight."

Duke Welker relieved Baker and pitched the final two innings. Welker gave up one run in the ninth but struck out four to record his fifth save.

In what has become typical for the Curve during their winning streak, they weren't overpowering at the plate, but they were able to score enough runs to win. They are averaging only 6.6 hits per game during the streak, which includes a five-hit performance on Monday.

Matt Curry was the offensive catalyst for the Curve against the Senators. He had two doubles, including one to dead-center that was a few feet from being a home run, and also collected his team-leading 24th RBI.

The seven-game winning streak is far and away the longest of the year for the Curve, whose previous high was only two games. Forbes said the turnaround has to do with two things, which he refers to as "A and E."

"Bring a good attitude and give me the effort, it never faults you," Forbes said."

Game recap

Key player: 1B Matt Curry went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.

Key play: With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, C Tony Sanchez hit a groundball that went through the legs of Harrisburg 3B Manny Mayorson, allowing the Curve to take a 3-1 lead.

Key stat: The Curve have their first seven-game winning streak since 2010.